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FIFA President Joseph Sep Blatter beat his opponent in the FIFA presidential election race Issa Hayatou, the head of the African Confederation, in the organization's 53rd congress at the Seoul Hilton Hotel, Wednesday. Blatter, who faces a court case and critics who accuse him of financial irregularities and mismanagement, earned 139 out of 195 valid votes from 197 member nations in the first round of the election and as result, becomes the 9th FIFA president four more years until the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
The 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup kicks off at Sangam World Cup stadium in Seoul May 31 at 8:30pm with the opening game between France and Senegal, signifying the first finals in Asia and first co-host in the games' history. The first international soccer fiesta of the 21st century lasts until June 30.
From May 30 at 8:00pm, a celebration with a variety of events will take place, including German Nobel prize writer Guenter Grass reading a poem composed for the World Cup. Some 13,000 people, including 736 soccer players and coaching staff from each competing nations, and FIFA executive officials, will participate in the ceremony, which is expected to be the largest scale ever with some 350,000 spectators visiting the stadium and 60 billion people watching on TV.
On May 31, prior to the match between France and Senegal, an opening ceremony will take place at 7:30pm with FIFA president Blatter, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, and President Kim Dae-jung attending. With the theme "Communication," the opening ceremony will deliver the oriental spirit of "harmony and eternity" to the world. The final match and closing ceremony will be held in Yokohama, Japan on June 30, with President Kim participating.
(Ok Dae-hwan, rosee@chosun.com )
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